Portable drafting board with carrying case



March 24, 1953 F.YJ. STERLING 2,632,683

PORTABLE DRAFTING BOARD WITH CARRYING CASE Filed Nov. 15, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. f2 aaglvcz ifrmu/va A TTORNE Y March 24, 1953 F. J. STERLING 2,532,683 v PORTABLE DRAFTING BOARD WITH CARRYING CASE Filed Nov. 15, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 24, 1953 e e I 2,632,683 I H PORTABLE DRAFTIN G BOARD WITH CARRYING CASE Florence J. Sterling, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Sterling-Freeland Industries, Inc.,

a corporation of Illinois Application November 15, 1946, Serial No. 709,983

Ihe object of my invention is to provide an improved portable drafting board with carrying case; provide a compact unit which may be easily fopened 'up for use or adjusted to different positions or packed for transportation. It is also "an object of my invention to provide novel means for supporting calibrated rules in different de-.

sired position on the board and to secure them indesired positions by novel and convenient fastening means.

It is also an object of my in- Chicago, Ill.,

3 Claims. (Cl. 312-231) A clamp l functions to hold the drawing paper '28 on the board and is ad'justably securedto the board by nuts l'2 on bolts II, said bolts being'secured to and extending upwardly from the board. Projections l3 integral with theclamps extend beyond the edge of the board as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. A slot i4 provided in the longitudinal frame member 3 receives the projections vention to provide a drafting kit which will accommodatedifferent sizes of sheets of drawing *paper.

It is also an object of myinvention to provide a novel handle extending all the way across the top of the board and which may be used either as 'a' handle or as a supporting means for supportingthe board in a tilted position for more convenient use. It is also an object of my invention to provide the novel combination and arrangement of "parts shown in the accompanying drawings.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a modified form of drawing board having short scales on opposite sides.

.Figure 1 is a plan view of a practical embodimentfof my invention;

.Fig. 21s a section online 2 -2 of Fi 1;

'Fi'g.j3 is a detail sectional view on line 3-4 .ofFig. 4; 4 Fig.4 is a perspective view of the carrying case shown closed for carrying "Fig. *5 is 'a' detail'sectional view on line 5-5 like numerals designate like parts in each of the views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I provide a board I of any suitable preferably light weight material, for example Masonite, having a longitudinal lower frame member or molding 2 and having an upper longitudinal frame member or molding 3 with opposite side or end pieces 4 all secured together to form a rectangular frame. Hinged to and within the rectangular frame is a cover 5 which when closed lies in the same plane with two of the edges of the side pieces 4, as shown in Fig. 4. The board I is also hinged to the frame but along the opposite longitudinal edge by means of bolts 6 or the like.

13 of the clamp l0 when the parts are closed or in carrying position.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a handle [5 is swingably mounted by bolts 1 to the side pieces and extends longitudinally for the entire length of the unit. This handle may act as a prop, as shown in Fig. 2, to support the board in an inclined position. A stop [6, indicated in Fig. 2, prevents the handle from going back against the face of cover 5 when the board I is set up for use.

A longitudinal scale 8 is integral with frame 2 and a left hand scale 9 is disposed at right angles. to and affixed to the base Or the board I and to the scale 8. A small vertical surface or edge I! is provided on scale 8 for one arm of an L-shaped square Is to rest against, as

shown in full lines in Fig. 1. Scale 9 has a simiand dash lines in Fig; 1. My protrangle has an angle 23 of an angle 24 of and an angle 25 of 7'5". It also has a cut-out portion providing a protractor 26 and a pivot point 21.

I also provide an opening 2| between the end of clamp It and the scale 9 to permit the L-square I9 to move upward, asindicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1. Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, I provide snap buttons 22 on the lower frame 2 to be engaged by snap sockets 230. on the cover 5 thereby to fasten the cover in the closed position of Fig. 4.

Different thicknesses of drawing paper 28 are held in place by the clamp 10 which may be adjusted relative to the board by means of the adjusting nuts l2. See Figs. 3 and 5. My continuous clamp firmly holds the paper in place and also furnishes a straight edge against which the end of the movable L-square 19 can abut when in use, as will be understood from Fig. 1. To set up the board, assuming that the case is closed and locked as in Fig. 4, the snap buttons are first disengaged and then the cover is swung upwardly to the dot and dash line position shown in Fig. 2. Then the board I is swung upwardly to the dot and dash line position in the same figure and is held there while the cover 5 is swung downwardly to the full line position. Thenthe handle I5 is swung'so that it will be engaged by the board 9 when the latter is moved downwardly. The handle then serves as a prop to hold the board in an inclined or tilted position convenient for drafting. With the parts in the position of Fig. 2, if it is desired to make a carrying case, the board I is swung upwardly, handle I5 is swung outwardly, the cover 5 is then swung upwardly, the drafting board is moved downwardly and finally the cover is swung down until the snap buttons engage. The unit may now be carried conveniently by the handle I5.

Referring to Fig. 6 showing a modified form I provide scales 29 on opposite ends of the board Ia .and also provide a clear space for slots 34 which arealigned withthe scales 29 and are parallel to each other. Alongitudinal scale 3| extends for the length'of the board and is secured thereto in adjusted. position by means of bolts or thumb screws 32 which pass throughithe longitudinal scale 3| andthrough the slots 34. The longitudinal scale 3| coacts with the scales '29 and provides a convenient means for supporting the L- square I9, as clearly shown.

' Referring to Fig. 7, I provide a drawing board having a molding 30 which is bevelled and has an integral lip 30a at the smaller or outer end,

.said lip extending-downwardly at right angles so that it may extend over the edge of the Masonite to protect said edge.

In Fig. 9 there is illustrated a slightly modified form of bolts I Ia and thumb nuts 12a for clamping the paper. The construction is similar to the previous described form and the action is the same.

.the length of, the bcardand swingably mounted ,on the frame, the cover being movable-under the board and the handlelikewise being swingableunder the board .to serve as a prop to hold the board in tilted or inclined position, and a stop on the handle for engaging another member to hold said handle. in board-propping position. I 2. A portable drafting board and carrying case comprising a substantially rectangular hollow frame having side members and rotatable members connecting opposite ends of said side members, covers for the front and rear of said frame mounted one on each of said rotatable members, and a carrying handle pivotally attached to said frame, said rotatable members and the covers connected thereto being swingable about their .pivots until the surfaces of the covers which are normally disposed in remote relation one to the other are in the opposite position adjacent each other and with the handle forming a rest main taining one of the covers inclined relative to the other and providing an inclined writing surface on the normally interior wall surface of one of said covers.

3. A portable drafting board and carrying case comprising a substantially rectangular hollow frame having side members and rotatable members connecting opposite ends of said side members, and covers for the front and rear of said frame, said covers being rotatable with said rotatable members, said covers and rotatable members being swingable about their pivots until the surfaces of the covers which are normally disposed in remote relation one to the other are in an opposite position adjacent each other, providing a writing surface on the normally interior wall surface of one of said covers.

FLORENCE J. STERLING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 287,543 Ignatius Oct. 30, 1883 340,914 Howson Apr. 27, 1886 370,409 Podgorski Sept. 27, 1887 388,158 Thompson Aug. 21, 1888 1,290,811 Ware Jan. 7, 1919 1,609,041 Pauker Nov. 30, 1926 1,651,804 Bosch Dec. 6, 1927 1,753,760 White Apr. 8, 1930 1,760,408 Hooper May 27, 1930 1,799,973 Clark Apr. 7, 1931 1,904,899 Keuifel Apr. 18, 1933 1,962,988 Fulton June 12, 1934 2,003,841 Sorensen June 4, 1935 2,009,407 Lundberg July 30, 1935 2,009,656 Gray July 30, 1935 2,039,207 Bentz Apr. 28, 1936 2,087,082 Brasseur July 13, 1937 2,107,049 Young Feb. 1, 1938 2,195,694 Cunningham Apr. 2, 1940 2,3 2,154 Fischer Feb. 23, 1943 2,489,165 Smith Nov. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS- Number Country Date 85,799 Germany March 1896 

